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Ordinators
The Ordinators are a 23rd 'Sentinel' Founding, semi-''Codex'' compliant Space Marine Chapter thought to have been founded by directive of the Ordo Malleus to build on the successful practice of Daemonic Possession Therapy pioneered by the Exorcists Chapter to create a specialized anti-Chaos Astartes chapter in a besieged corner of the Imperium. The Ordinators were first mentioned in Administratum records as one of very few Space Marine Chapters with a permanent homeworld within the Segmentum Pacificus in late M38, and are considered by those who know of their presence to have been one of the "Sentinel Chapters" formed to protect the frayed borders of the Imperium In a region which is subject to frequent infiltration by the forces of Chaos. Chapter History The chapter's creation was a result of the labors of both the upper echelons of the Adeptus Terra and certain Radical factions of the Ordo Malleus to re-create the extremely successful Daemon-hunting capabilities of the Exorcists within a new Space Marine chapter. Any inquest into the origin of the gene-seed stock is impossible by any, except the highest-ranking Imperial adepts, due to the chapter's data files having been classified by the top echelon of the Inquisition. Since its inception, it has been tasked with the dual task of protecting the Southeastern Segmentum Pacificus as well as the populated Southern reaches of the Segmentum Solar from incursion from various threats as well as with restoring Imperial law and order to the many Imperial worlds which had been experiencing significant unrest in the former - many of which were suspected by the Inquisition to be a result of the influence of Chaos. This unrest eventually lead to a series of sector-wide mass uprising by M41 with shattered Imperial control over their Western border sector called The Night of a Thousand Rebellions. In contrast with the attitude which is popularly expected from Inquisition-linked military actions, the Ordinators have responded with a restrained strategy inclined towards attempting to limit unnecessary human casualties or infrastructure loss. While fortunate in the number of victories it has won in battles over many systems and in multiple sectors, it is still a relatively young chapter and has only taken part in few major Crusades. Meeting with great success in the Suppression of the Macharian Heresy, it has recently played a much more visible and extremely decisive role in the restoration of many Imperial sectors from heretical planetary governments, and in doing so they earned a fearsome reputation among heretics as ferocious loyalists willing to strike at the heart of any enemy without mercy. To dutiful Imperials, however, they have earned a reputation as a compassionate and tireless protector of humanity within the Segmentum Pacificus. It has established near-total control of the Azuran Sector along with the other major power of the sector. Chapter Culture The Astartes of the Chapter are distinguished primarily by the practice known as "Daemonic Possession Therapy" which was pioneered by the Exorcists, though it is called the Rite of Purification by brothers of the Ordinators. To become a full battle-brother of the chapter, a Scout-Novitiate must survive a period of Daemonic possession lasting no longer than a half-Terran day (12 hours) under the ruthless gaze and total control of an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor, a senior Librarian, and a Chaplain of the Reclusiam who both monitor and assist the exorcism ritual. Those who cannot exorcise the daemon within the time limit are executed. Those who can successfully physically and mentally survive the ordeal are drastically and permanently altered by the experience (both in terms of their behavior and even the nature of their presence within the warp in the eyes of malevolent denizens). The Conclave Ordinatorum, a Radical faction of the Ordo Malleus, acts as the sponsor of and controls the chapter to ensure its purity and success in its primary purpose - even maintaining a secret fortress-prison at the base of the chapter Fortress-Monastery, Arx Numinex. They regularly send members of the conclave or full Inquisitorial Black Ships with Ordinator fleets to act as observation or command and control. The character of an Ordinator can be described as contemplative, studious, pious, laconic in acceptance of suffering, and slow-to-anger outside of combat. Erudition in all things is highly prized. Each Ordinator is expected to conquer the human feelings of rage and bloodlust that come along in the heat of battle and view it as an undeniable but necessarily evil duty. Once battle is joined, however, the Ordinators become mercilessly aggressive, slaughtering all of their foes with a pitiless, detached contempt. Each Battle-Brother of the chapter is attended by one or more serf Equerries outside of battle as a means of strengthening the ties of Astartes to their humanity, as well as reinforcing the loyalty of the serfdom in a chapter surrounded by the threat of the taint of Chaos. They carry within their hearts both a deep understanding and utter contempt of the entities of the Warp and the corruption of Chaos. They place a high value on the life of a loyal servant of the Emperor, and have a reputation for almost never abandoning wounded or isolated loyalist Imperial forces when withdrawing from combat, no matter the risk. However, when fighting against traitorous human forces acting under the influence of the Chaos Gods - whether knowingly or unknowingly - the Ordinators are known to be utterly merciless. Their chapter cult resembles a direct offshoot of the Imperial Cult, more akin to that of the Promethean Cult than the vast majority of Astartes' chapter cults as they view the Emperor as a true god since his ascension to the Golden Throne, often incorporating veneration of popular Imperial Saints into their worship while still placing tremendous value on any loyal human Imperial's life. The do not fully share the Promethean Cult's emphasis on self-reliance, though it is considered a great virtue (though not a Cardinal one), and fire is thought of as a means of purifying the weak and wicked. Occasional martyrs of great heroism and piety of the chapter are raised to sainthood within the cult, as well, though the practice is exceeding rare, with only seven to date since M38. They currently hold a special reverence for Saint Celestine since her re-emergance in the Terran Crusade and consider her authority to surpass that of the Chapter Master, Legatus Decimus Aurelian in all things, with both his Honour Guard and he himself prostrating themselves before her in their first meeting - an act unthinkable to many a proud chapter whose lineage directly extends from legions that fought directly alongside the Emperor himself. All members of the chapter, Astartes or serf are raised within the cult, and even members as humble as refectory workers are capable of rising to the ranks of Chapter Lay Preacher, ministering to both the masses of the serfdom and even the Brother-Initiates in ways only a Chaplain would be permitted to in many others. The Chaplains themselves exclusively make up the high priesthood of the cult, however, due to their nigh-proven incorruptibility and need to accompany their cohorts into battle to practice the sacred rites of violently crusading against the impurities of xenos and heresy corrupting their species, exemplifying the highest values of the Ordinators’ belligerent and insular, yet humanitarian and communitarian form of religion. Following a new Marine’s passage through this Rite and a final test of their dedication to the Emperor, Ordinators must commit the Tome of 666 Verses of the Daemonhunter and the Liber Exorcismus to memory. All Battle-Brothers of the chapter are required to maintain a copy of both the Liber Exorcismus and Litanies of Ordination at all times, as each is expected to be able to fight and banish the insidious Neverborn at any moment, in any place. Unlike their Exorcist forefathers, however, their focused specialization solely on Daemons shifts to more traditional arts of combating traitor Astartes in their training practices after their first century of service. All Ordinators are encouraged to pursue the study of the art of combating the forces of Chaos according to their individual interests and talents through study within the chapter Orison cult - membership in which are by invitation only, extended after decades of observation by the existing members in each one. Several hours a day are spent in study for any member of the chapter, from Scout-Neophyte to Brother-Captain. An emphasis on learning and writing various types of hexagrammic wards pervades the criteria of most of the various Orisons. While their exposure to daemonic threats has not been quite as prolific as the chapter which helped to establish them, they have performed with an extremely high degree of effectiveness against every daemonic threat they have encountered, as well as with the many traitorous Astra Militarum regiments or Chaos Space Marine warbands they have gone into battle against - a feat accomplished with no recorded instances of falling to Chaos among its ranks. his spiritual purity is, in part, a product of their extremely close working relationship with the Conclave Ordinatorum of the Ordo Malleus which maintains a constant presence within the deepest, most hidden part of Arx Numinex, beneath the ocean floor of Azuran. The recent arrival of three overstrength companies of Primaris Marine replacements given to them by Lord Commander Guilliman to partially replace the chapter's recent heavy losses in the first century of M42 had led to extreme distrust by virtually all of the chapter towards the newcomers despite the commitment of most to accept the necessity of the Rite of Purification and their largely successful surviving of the process (nearly 80 either refused the therapy or failed to succeed at the self-exorcism and were executed despite the intensive pre-rite education program, however) and nearly all of the Primaris were frozen in stasis pending a period of demonstration by the small squads allowed to be formed under the Primaris Lieutenant, Optio (Senior Lieutenant) Costantine Marcus, to prove that the new brand of Astartes created not by the Divine Emperor but an Arch-Magos Dominus (an act perceived as borderline heretical even by the chapter's Radical standards) is not susceptible to corruption or prone to mutation given the nature of the chapter's primary enemy. To date, they have performed ad mirably, but the current ruling Council of Lords had decreed that the Primaris were never to exceed more than a full company in number until irrefutable proof of their loyalty and genetic stability can be proven beyond all doubt. This decree was revoked following The Cacophony in 124.M42- a massacre of nearly a third of the entire chapter in transport to purge a daemon world along the Northern Cicatrix Maledictum at the hands of the Slaaneshi Knights of Laeran warband and its overwhelmingly powerful fleet. After the successful pioneering of the surgical procedure allowing standard Astartes to transition into Primaris, the Magi Biologis of Forge World Ferunus and Apothecarium of the Ordinators led by Miseriauctor (Chief Apothecary) Amantius Chiron managed to decrease mortality rates associated with the surgery to just below 40%. The Legatus of the chapter, Decimus Aurelian, was the first to volunteer - he sought to demonstrate to his brethren that he would ask nothing of them he would not do himself. Surviving the surgery, Miseriauctor Chiron soon became even more skilled at practicing it, and in teaching the rest of the chapter's Sanatores (Apothecaries) how to conduct it, he himself successfully underwent it. Soon after, near half the chapter (and all Scout-Neophytes) underwent the surgery - entirely by choice for the former. Over a third of those attempting to become Primaris died from complications in or after the surgery, but for those who lived, and the nearly company-sized element of Scouts in the 10th Cohort who survived the Rite of Purification, they quickly found themselves far more effective at their dedicated task. Though many still mistrust the process and Primaris in general, the culture of the chapter is changing rapidly - thanks in no small part to Guilliman - as the son and acting regent of the God-Emperor himself - choosing to publicly give his blessing to them. Though the chapter's Pontifexium Imperatorum of the Chaplaincy were the last to approve of the change, they did eventually give it. The chapter is growing back to its old strength at a quick rate by its own standards (though still much slower than many chapters' due to the minimum 30 year spiritual preparation demanded of Scouts among the Ordinators). Within a little more than a century, the chapter will be near full strength once again. The 13th Special Assault Demi-Cohort - the de facto special operations detachment of the chapter established originally as a place to sequester all Primaris, has become a codex-divergent formation consisting of all the Reivers of the chapter as well as supporting Inceptors and several Aggressors to allow for a rapidly deployable deep striking force from overhead Thunderhawk Assault Gunships performing high altitude infiltration drops and Thunderhawk Transporter infiltration of Repulsor Transports to carry the Aggressor component and act as fire support themselves to increase the intensity of available combat capability as any engagement progresses once the element of surprise is lost. It has proven wildly successful in various endeavors, and may prove to be worthy of being retained as a permanent formation. It's former Optio was the first Primaris to be created by Belisarius Cawl in the first generation of Primaris to be raised to Captaincy. Since then, Primaris Astartes have come to make up nearly 70% of the chapter - roughly 60% of that figure being existing members of the chapter from before the integration of Primaris upon the introduction of Cawl's "Primarization" surgery for standard Astartes. Even after the transition had been completed for most of the chapter who would voluntarily accept the surgery, however, much bitter sentiment remained. The chapter had divided into two philosophical schools with strong opinions about the issue: the "Pragmates", who believe in the necessity of Primaris numbers and advantages for the good of their purpose to spiritually cleanse and safeguard the Imperium to keep their sacred oaths, and the "Purites", who believe that accepting gene-seed organs designed by any except the Emperor Himself to be sinful. The Pragmates have come to be the dominant school since the entire ruling Council of Lords have undergone the transformational surgery, though the Purites still retain a strong voice. The first and only instance of intrachapter violence occurred in 129.M42 when a group of 31 Purites extremists cornered the Legatus of the chapter and attempted to kill him. With the aid of his Praetorian Lictor Honour Guard and several nearby loyal sentinels, he managed to survive - most of the insurgents being slain in the process. Those who survived were forced to perform autoimpalare, the chapter's infrequently practiced suicide ritual. Following this, a group of some 32 Battle-Brothers fled the chapter in a Gladius-class frigate. They were hunted down within a year and butchered almost to a man - though one of their number, a former Centurio known as Nicatorus Draco (now known as "The Proditor" to the chapter's leadership), managed to escape and begin a campaign of sabotage against the chapter and any who he perceives as betraying the intent of the Emperor in creating the Adeptus Astartes. A purge of sympathizers followed, and the chapter's entire membership - both Astartes and serf - has undergone several waves of psychoanalytical batteries to attempt to identify any vestigial remnants of terroristic intent, though none who remain have shown signs of harboring such sentiment. It remains to be seen whether Purites extremists will take up the mantle of the "Dishonored", as the Pragmates have taken to calling them. The hunt for "Draco the Proditor" has only just begun, and every Captain and member of the Council of Lords has sworn blood oaths to slay him and force him to be punished for this unprecedented treachery. Chapter Battle Doctrine Like their Exorcist progenitors, one the core Ordinators' battle doctrine's primary characteristics is its very high degree of tactical flexibility. Chapter commanders and officers are trained in how to rapidly shift tactics on the ground in the midst of an ongoing battle where many chapters would simply keep pressing the attack according to their primary strengths. It is not uncommon for chapter commanders to switch tactics several times in any given battle in order to throw enemy forces off-guard as they alternate back and forth between different styles of attack and defense in order to maintain pressure on an opponent's flanks and rear as the frontage of the two forces is continually reformed. Maneuverability is of great importance to the Ordinators, and to this end, a great many types of vehicles and aircraft are maintained by the chapter, with even demi-company-sized elements rarely deploying into combat without the capability to fight any conceivable threat - mortal or daemonic. Despite this emphasis on balance in fighting and deployment styles, the Ordinators do display an inclination towards fluid means of deployment revolving around simultaneous airborne insertion of vehicles as well as drop pod assaults, under the overwatch of a significant number of gunships overhead. The chapter is well known by its foes to always focus on attaining air superiority (or supremacy) before the rest of its forces make planetfall; allowing the Ordinators to maneuver and redeploy its strength in the midst of battle in relative safety. Air superiority is all-important to the success of Ordinators operations, if not total air supremacy. During planetary assaults, enemy airfields and terrestrial voidports are generally seized in the first hours of the battle by massed drop pod assaults landing company or demi-company sized units to take control of the foe's ability to match Ordinator air power and destroy any aircraft on the ground when possible. Ordinators ground forces are known to almost never move without their deployment fleet moving in sync with them high above in low orbit for easy reinforcement and exfiltration of units to tailor the attacking or defending force to its optimal composition. Uniquely among most chapters, the Ordinators maintain approximately 48 Xiphon Interceptors - found in the Space Hulk of a Great Crusade-era loyalist fleet that had translated to realspace near Azuran before returning to the warp - modified into the “Sunhawk-subpattern” by the chapter’s nearby allies of Forge World Ferunus - around 12 are retained per Battle Barge and 6 per Strike Cruiser - giving the chapter unique void and air-supremacy capability not characteristic of Space Marine fleets. Thunderhawks are relied upon heavily as void and atmospheric strike craft, with the Xiphons acting as escorts and hunter-killer craft in a typical Ordinator void battle. On the defense, the chapter tends to rely on its many Devastators and Centurion Devastator Warsuits, as well as orbitally-inserted Tarantula turrets, to establish well-protected firebases while Tactical and Intercessor form up a center line with Hellblaster, Assault, and Sternguard squads typically deployed along the attackers' flanks - a formation that can rapidly be shifted into an aggressive flanking advance while still firmly protecting occupied ground. Tracked vehicles are generally positioned behind hard cover and concealment to act as emplaced guns if needed, or as disruptive elements if a proactive defense is the best approach. The chapter is known to place a high emphasis relative to others on bolter drills during daily training, while flamers and incendiary missile launchers are preferred special weapons due in part to their chapter cult's belief that fire acts as a purifying force upon the daemon, xeno, and heretic. The honour of melee combat is considered by the Ordinators to be better suited to experienced veterans, and as such, the majority of the chapter companies are filled more with Tactical and Devastator squads than Assault squads, though the prestige of being assigned to assault detachments makes the available Assault slots highly-sought after. Since the introduction of Primaris Marines, Interecessors have taken to being the staple infantry of the chapter, with Aggressors and Inceptors considered roughly equally important. Frequent usage of Devastators and Assault Marines is still commonplace, however. These forces are generally all deployed to the battlefield through Thunderhawk Assault Gunship or Overlord Dropship, but orbital insertion remains a mainstay of the chapter's tactical doctrine. A unique feature observed of the Exorcists and Ordinators both, during combat with daemons, is a kind of hyper-aggressive battle trance they appear to have been conditioned into entering automatically upon exposure to the presence of malevolent warp entities. Chanting in various languages typically accompanies this state. Little is known of how this trance state is achieved, maintained, or broken otherwise. Strange runes and glyphs are often carved into their equipment, much like their progenitors. Chapter Gene-Seed Mutations While the chapter's genetic purity has remained stronger than some, within the past millenium, the Omophagea implant has ceased to function normally in fully mature Ordinators. Although the physical implant is still surgically grafted into the chapter's neophytes, it is noticeably weaker than many chapters when it comes to gathering genetic memory from DNA and RNA of the blood and flesh of creatures and xenos eaten to remember the fallen prey's recollection of events prior to their death. In recent years, its use has been looked down upon as an excess of savagery by many of the elders in the chapter and its use is usually most frequent among Scout-Neophytes who make use of it for reconnaissance purposes before it begins to degrade and they are eventually taught to cease relying on it as its function degrades over time after the implanted nerve bundles become less and less reactive in transmitting the Remembrancer's function between the organ and the Astartes' amygdala. The chapter's gene-seed has also been observed to grant variously longer life spans than many Astartes' gene-lines grant, though not to the degree that the Blood Angels' do. Unfortunately, it has been noted that gene-seed rejection is more likely than with an average Astartes gene-seed - making the need for intaking new recruits higher than most chapters, as the great majority (approximately 67%) reject it. With such a low acceptance rate, and the brutal training and conditioning methods to prepare aspirants for the Rite of Purification, the death rate of new recruits is phenomenally high within the first decade - making an additional two Scout companies necessary. At the same time, the chapter Apothecarium has observed faster inter-synaptic neurotransmission times between neurons within the Black Carapace interface points than the average Astartes experiences, allowing Ordinators to move somewhat quicker and with greater ease in their bulky power armor. The Occulobe is also slightly more sensitive to shades of bright red and green than the standard Astartes. Because of this, many Ordinators prefer to wear modified helmets at nearly all times to ensure their vision is maintained to the superior degree expected of an Adeptus Astartes; a practice encouraged by the heavy use of retinal focus-point-slaved optical targeting networks within squads and teams of all sizes that allow each member of a small unit to see what the target of their Decanus or other officers are visually focused on in the midst of combat while wearing the chapter's standard Mk VIIb- or Mk IIXb-Shadowsight variant helmets mass produced by the chapter's Armorium and the Chalybeium Orbital Forge over Azuran run by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Because of this mutation, melanin content within the eyes is often low and the standard iris colors of Ordinators range from ice-blue to green-grey or even ghostly white. Melanochrome skin melanin content is unaffected by this mutation, changing in content from environment to environment, though the members of the chapter spend much time in artificial and somewhat dim lighting of the chapter's fleet and Fortress-Monastery of Arx Numinex and are known for a ghostly pale pallor when seen outside of their armor most of the time. In secret, the chapter's Miseriauctor (Chief Apothecary) and the Conclave Ordinatorum have been experimenting with surgically grafting the Magnificat implant into the brains of non-Primarii - an organ originally designed by the Emperor, and so seen as divinely approved - attempting to re-create the missing left lobe, the sintarius, and implanting it within several particular members of the chapter in an effort to provide unending natural life. Time will tell if their efforts produce effects similar to the Emperor's original design. Wars and Crusades of the Chapter * The Hellpurge (393.M38-412.M38) - The first three provisional companies of the chapter are dispatched to the Eye of Terror for the chapter's trial by fire. Over the course of 19 years, six Daemon Worlds in four systems are cleansed of their foul Neverborn inhabitants by less than 300 newly-minted Ordinators and their Exorcist mentors. * The Razing of the Witch Worlds (414.M39-416.M39) - When the worlds of the Vompiyya system cease their payment of the Imperial tithe, a secretive investigation by the Ordo Hereticus reveals that the three inhabited worlds within it have been usurped by a heretical magocracy, in which unsanctioned psykers have overtaken rule of the loyal Imperial population in a horrific reign of terror in which the citizenry are treated as livestock used to satiate every need and desire of the ruling class. The Ordinators, with the aid of the Astral Leviathans, manage to cleanse each of the witch-lords and their minions from each world in under a year per planet, as the Ordinators' superior psychic conditioning enables them to act as a vanguard in many operations against sorcererous foes, better able withstand their foes' psychic assaults during the brutal campaign the two chapters wage to destroy the enemy's centers of power, though a number of entire hive cities are left as burning necropolises in the course of the war. The campaign came to grisly end with the the command squads of each respective chapter holding out in a last stand within the throne room of the vile psyker-queen. the Void Empress, after setting beacons for a precise orbital bombardment after multiple wave assaults failed to penetrate the void shield generator in the heart of the palace. The Ordinators Auspexus (Chief Librarian) keeping the potent enemy psykers relatively at bay as the Leviathans' Commodus (Chapter Master) and his Honour Guard sacrificed themselves in the midst of the onslaught of enemies, taking down many times their number in heretics and their legionaries - allowing the Ordinator Auspexus to be extracted and bombard the enemy strongholds bringing and end to their reign. * The Phaedon Gulf Crusade (603.M40-607.M40) - A large Eldar Corsair fleet is discovered as being the cause behind a plethora of abductions, genocides, and acts of naval piracy in the Jokahn Sector in the early latter-half of M40. With the help of the sector battlefleet and two other unknown chapters, the Ordinators manage to ambush the much larger fleet of the Voidsparrow Raiders, led by Prince Koaiel Iyddinnah. The ego of the arrogant Eldar murderers ends up being the cause of their ultimate downfall, as they refuse to quit the fight even after the battle turns against them. The body of Prince Koaiel and his closest advisors are crucified within the wreckage of an Imperial Navy graveyard. Eldar piracy never occurs within the sector again. * The Atmaran War (332-334.M40) - The Sector Capitol of Atma attempts to lead a secessionist movement to break the planet away from the Imperium of Man under the guise of "reforging a new empire in the Emperor's true vision". Unknowingly to the inhabitants of the world of Atma II, the rebellion is lead by a pawn of the traitorous Alpha Legion. Intuiting the role of the Dark Gods, the Ordinators and eleven Imperial Guard regiments engage in a war to surgically cut out the corruption from the massively populated sector to spare the lives of as many as possible, though most of Atma II itself is purged in the process. The war ends with the killing of the Chaos Lord Ukon in a hidden bunker at the core of the world, followed by the seizing and public execution of the rebellion's leader on live holo-vision. The remaining population of Atma II - approximately 41% of the pre-war citizenry - are ultimately spared only because the preaching of the chapter's Reclusiarch guides the better part of the native PDF forces to redeem themselves and to seek forgiveness through death in battle against their treacherous brethren. * The Purging of the Hakari -''' ('''378.M41) - The gruesome Hakarian Flesh-Reaper Warband of Khornate pirates - a faction of once-loyal voidsmen and Imperial adepts once serving Chartist Captains, Rogue Traders, and even the Imperial Navy fallen to worship of the Blood God wage a three-century long insurgency within the less-well defended systems in the sector - converge in a massive attempted raid on Azuran itself and are nearly obliterated with aid from Battlefleet Azuran and ultimately driven from the Azuran sector into the very Western edge of the galaxy, though no Imperial fleet has been able to find their forces since. Lord Inquisitor Garus Kolonius recognizes the mark of the Flesh-Reapers when examining reports of piracy in the Segmentum Pacificus in subsequent years, however, and an edict is issued charging the Ordinators to continue searching for the void-based warband of raiders until they are utterly annihilated - a hunt which has continued unsuccessfully ever since * Suppression of the Macharian Heresy (400.M41-470.M41) - The Ordinators are called upon to defend their own home sector from the predation of both Alpha Legion infiltration units and the renegade traitor-general Junor Rankar, a once great-commander fallen to the temptations of Tzeentch, cultivating a secular absolutist monarchial cult of personality leading a multi-sector kingdom who quickly rose to economic prosperity and winning much of the population in the process, as well as suppressing and exterminating the many Chaos cultist uprisings all over the Segmentum Pacificus. At one point, the chapter nearly comes to blows with the Minotaurs over the latter's indiscriminate slaughter of Imperials, but the Ordinators are ordered by the High Lords of Terra to remain on the periphery of the crusade, and spend the next half-century culling traitors and destroying pocket-empires in the shadows. * The Gerrhae War (993.M41-998.M41) - A Tzeentchian Warband, the Host of the Unending Tower, ambushes and massacres an Ordinator frigate carrying a fell tome of dark knowledge through an artificial warp rift, seizing it and using its knowledge to begin carving out a realm of it's own in the Gerrhae Sector within the Segmentum Pacificus. The Ordinators, along with an allied chapter, eventually turn the tide with the help of the Ordo Malleus by sealing the warp rift and either liberating or exterminating any planet along the path of the Cult - led by the dual Sorcerer-Kings of Land and Void, Nagem and Ahtu, respectively. Though the war is incredibly costly and results in the destruction of the sector's de facto capital of Bellator - it comes to a decisive end with the deaths of Ahtu in the Battle of of the Blood Nebula, followed by the slaying of Nagem's entire Chaos Space Marine warband as well as their patron Lord of Change, O'kazhk's banishment, above and upon the surface of the the newly re-inhabited world of Martyr's Hope. * The Terran and Indomitus Crusades (999.M41-111.M42) - Accompanying the Living Saint Celestine and Arch-Magos Belisarius Cawl in the "resurrection" of Roboute Guilliman and the many battles fought from Cadia to Macragge, Terra, and then back to the outer rim, Aurelian leads 7 companies over the course of the massive odyssey. To the chapter's grief and anger, more Brother-Initiates and Neophytes are lost over the course of the two crusades than in any previous campaigns undertaken by the chapter in its entire history. After the heavy damage to the chapter's Battle Barges and the outright destruction of the Strike Cruiser Eternal Faith in the Terran Crusade's largest naval battle, the Ordinators now bear a particular hatred for the Red Corsairs. The Ordinators receive a company's worth of Primaris Astartes as replacements but, to this day, the Chapter hold them under suspicion as outsiders and of questionable genetic stability, restricting most of their number to remain in stasis while the other half has been conditioned and deployed as a special demi-company strike force. The chapter is still recovering from its hundreds of deaths by recruiting new Astartes in the old way, and it will be several decades before they are back up to full strength. * The Khaigara Crusade (112.M42) '-' Decimus Aurelian is chosen by Inquisitor Leonid Svaltysh to lead an incursion into a satellite realm of the Dark Eldar known as Port Khaigara with the intent to destroy and seize the technological innovations of the city's Haemonculi covens. Millions of Imperials are drawn by the call to the crusade, and within weeks of its declaration, the invasion is able to commence (with the aid of the Inquisitor and his highly questionable technological assets and allies) as a Dark Eldar raiding fleet emerges from a webway portal near the world of Cordania. Within days, two million Dark Eldar and half a million Imperials are killed or wounded under Aurelian's strategic and tactical leadership. Millions of human slaves are freed, and the realm of Port Khaigara is utterly annihilated. * The Cacophony (142.M42) - A brutal ambush by a massive Knights of Laeran fleet against the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th Companies of the Ordinators aboard the Battle Barge Paladin ''and Strike Cruisers ''Herald of the Sacred Wrath and Purifier as well as two escort Gladius-class Frigates - Victory of Light and To Justice Due - ''lead to the deaths of nearly a third of the entire chapter. All but one of the ships are either grievously crippled and effectively destroyed or outright explode from massive plasma reactor detonations under a withering hail of lance fire and aggressive Slaaneshi Terminator boarding sabotage teams at the cost of very few destroyed Laeran ships. Only Centurio Ulixes aboard the ''Purifier manages to escape after Centurio Brutus, the Master of the Fleet, orders an emergency disengagement. Less than one year later, the Stolos Omega fleet of Forge World Ferunus arrives and fights off the still-looting Knights of Laeran and rescue the ship hulks with colossal recovery ships - along with hundreds of Brother-Initiate bodies. Miraculously, Centurio Brutus (and around 40 other Ordinators) survived the near-destruction of Paladin through the use of his Mucranoid Gland and swears vengeance by taking the chapter's Sacred Oath of Justice alongside Centurio Ulixes and Legatus Aurelian against the massive Slaaneshi warband. Massive cultural changes are forced to occur within the Ordinators, and, if only for the blessing of Guilliman, the creation of Primaris Marines from the chapter's Scouts begins using the surgical technique pioneered by Belisarius Cawl. Preparations for a massive war begin shortly after. Notable Ordinators *'Legatus Augustus Heliodorus' - Founding Chapter Master of the Ordinators Chapter *'Legatus Ozydorax Pharseus' - Former Chapter Master and one of tne of the founding members of the Pact of the Sword of Fire. *'Legatus Decimus Aurelian' - Current Chapter Master of the Ordinators. A legendary swordsman, pilot, and commander - he rose to leadership of the chapter not from a captaincy, but from a position as a Praetorian Lictor Honour Guard Champion. Devout in the extreme, he has a reputation for both ferocity and compassion towards enemies and friends, respectively. He has become one of the most well-known Legates of the Ordinators for his prolific alliance-building and extremely successful crusading campaigns. *'Centurio-Praetor Ferox Marius' - Current First Captain of the Ordinators 1st Praetorian Evocatii Cohort and longest-living Ordinator outside of a Dreadnought frame at 779 years of age as of 120.M42. *'Aeditor Sidonius Octavian' - Current Reclusiarch & High Chaplain of the Ordinators *'Centurio Scipio Valerius' - Current Captain of the 2nd Battleline Company of the Ordinators & Master of Crusades *'Centurio Iovianus Ulixes' - Current Captain of the 8th Close Assault Company of the Ordinators & Master of Justice *'Centurio Pollux Marcus '- Current Captain of the 4th Battleline Company and the former Senior Lieutenant and the first commander of the only Primaris formation allowed to exist within the Ordinators chapter. After the massive losses of the Cacophony, it was then-Lieutenant's faith and devotion to the tenets of the chapter cult that convinced the Council of Lords that Primaris replacements could and should finally be accepted to restore the chapter to fighting strength (though there would be no compromise in the length of their spiritual conditoning) and he, in no small part, is responsible for preventing the chapter from dwindling into the annals of Imperial history as a valiant holdout of a once-glorious chapter. *'Veteran Decanus Aulus Caelius' - A dishonored 1st Praetorian Company Sternguard Sergeant sentenced to a century of service in the Deathwatch. He has become known for his steadfast acceptance of his punishment and made a name for himself as a devoted members of the Watch, famous for his courage and tactical acumen, and is near to redeeming himself. Reliquary of the Ordinators *''Suncleaver'' - A relatively freshly forged Adamantium "hyper-power" broadsword forged by a conclave of Ordinator Mechanitors and Tech-Priests from a newly re-discovered STC as a gift for the newly ascended Legate of the chapter which allegedly took 30 days and 31 nights to forge to perfection. Its blade burns with a techno-arcane fire when the incredibly powerful disruptor field is activated, and it reflects sunlight with a special intensity when inactive, making the form of the blade appear to be flickering between adamantium and pure sunlight when drawn. It is the same sword with which Legatus Decimus Aurelian slew Iconus the Black Augur, Daemon Prince of Tzeentch, upon which many within the Chapter Cult say that the God-Emperor himself blessed the weapon with righteous power making it capable of slaying even mighty daemon engines when wielded with the skill of Legatus Aurelian. *''Aegis Lux'' - The holy Adamantine shield borne into a thousand battles by the founding Legatus of the Ordinators; Heliodorus Augustus, the interior being covered in arcane warding glyphs as well as several potent types of archeotech shield generators. His soul is still said to linger on as part of the machine spirit of the relic - serving his sacred duty to the chapter and God-Emperor even in death. Though the plate itself has undergone numerous repairs and modifications, the combination psychic-archaeotech void shield generator has remained unchanged for millennia. When viewed by witchsight, the shield shines with the blinding, holy light of Sol against the barely-visible signature of the Ordinator commander wielding it. *''Sunwrath'' - This titanic bladed mace - so large and heavy it can only be borne by a Battle Brother wielding Terminator Armour - was the weapon borne into battle by the first Legatus, Heliodorus Augustus until the day of his death. Originally a gift from the Exorcists to their new progeny, the weapon is a pure-adamantium masterwork of archaeotech smithing which generates a flaming disruptor field so powerful it can be used to annihilate battle tanks and mighty daemons alike with a pair of blows. By ancient tradition, it can only ever be wielded by the Centurio-Praetor of the 1st Praetorian Evocatii Cohort himself after the First of the Centurio-Praetors took up the fallen weapon from the hands of the First Legatus as he slaughtered his killers, still drenched in the Legate's blood. To this day, it is considered the badge of office of the Centurio-Praetor and Warden of Azuran. *''Extinctor'' - A powerful yet incredibly light power sword traditionally wielded by the Master of Crusades of the Chapter, its current owner, Centurio Scipio Valerius has become a legend within the ranks of the Ordinators Scouts, Brothers, and Serfs alike for his skill in landing perfect decapitation blows upon enemies of the God-Emperor. Unknown to most, this is due in large part to its machine-spirit which automatically seeks out the neck joints of various species when swung, subtly guiding the hand of its wielder to deal a lethal blow with alarming alacrity. *''Furior & Puritor'' - A pair of featherweight yet nigh-unbreakable power swords (one spatha, one gladius) forged for the 8th Assault Cohort Centurion, Iovianus Ulixes - arcano-technologically forged from an alloy of Adamantium and an unknown metal found on a strange planet along the outer rim of the galaxy - as a reward for the chapter Armorium for his defense of the Adeptus Mechanicus transport, Gauntlet of the Omnissiah after defending it in a battle against Dark Eldar raiders wherein he slew tens of Kabalites, Wyches, and an Archon using a pair of knives and his unsurpassed agility and grace. It is said one is designed to magnetically pull weapons from the grasp of enemies, while the other possesses a machine-spirit which guides it to the most vulnerable points of any given enemy. *''Helm of Sanctity'' - A psychic hood worn by the Auspexus (Chief Librarian) of the Ordinators engraved with extremely powerful hexagrammic warding said among some Orisons to have been brought before the Eternity Gate of the Imperial Palace on Terra where it was blessed by a conclave of Cardinals before being engraved by Paladins of the Grey Knights of Titan. It provides the wearer with incredibly powerful defence against warp energies when worn. Chapter Appearance Chapter Colours The Ordinators Chapter primarily wears black coloured power armour. Royal purple is the colour of all banners, tabards, and cloaks worn by NCOs and officers of the chapter, as well as in its "prayer ropes" bound from the hair of faithful martyrs and dyed before being used to hold up scrolls or reliquary boxes. Blood red stripes are sometimes worn around the thigh by those who have lost a particularly close brother in battle and made the Sacred Oath of Justice to slay the killer of their beloved battle-brother or a hundred of his kind. The insets of the shoulder pauldrons as well as the Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard and the right poleyn (knee guard) are dark gray in colour. The Chapter's livery is proudly displayed on the left shoulder pauldron, while the white coloured squad specialty symbol is displayed on the right shoulder pauldron. This symbol designates an individual battle-brother's role (Tactical, Assault, Devastator and Veteran). A black coloured Roman numeral on the squad specialty symbol indicates squad number. A white coloured Roman numeral on the right polelyn indicates company number. Chapter Badge The Ordinators Chapter badge is a large, stylized black coloured skull. A white circlet with a hexagrammic ward of protection is centered on the forehead of the skull. Chapter Fleet The Ordinators operate two battle barges - the Paladin and the Fire of Sol. They possess four strike cruisers - the Purifier, Herald of the Sacred Light, Angel of Wrath, and the Saint Dolan’s Fury. They possess nine frigates and two destroyers which are used as escorts for the primary ships of the line. The primary exterminatus weapon of the chapter is the two-stage cyclonic torpedo, with a lesser inventory of atmospheric incinerator torpedoes. Chapter Relations Allies The Conclave Ordinatorum of the Radical faction consisting of Ordo Malleus (as well as one well-connected Ordo Hereticus) Inquisitors constitutes the primary sponsor and protector of the chapter, having founded it and protected its secrets alongside that of the Exoricsts' patron Inquisitorial representatives in the Senatorum Imperialis. The chapter maintains strong bonds with the Order of our Martyred Lady, certain factions of both Puritan and Radicals in the Ordos Xenos and Hereticus, respectively, as well as the Arothi Imperial Guard, the Exorcists chapter, and possesses a certain degree of knowledge and collaboration with the Grey Knights. Additionally, Forge World Ferunus is the Ordinators' primary supplier and their most crucial partner in the Azuran sector, making them one of their most critical allies of all. They currently most commonly cooperate with the Astral Leviathans and Ashimar Nova Guard in the ongoing suppression of the hundreds of heretical rebellions in the Segmentum Pacificus, as well as in many other endeavors involving the putting down of any and all revolts against the Holy Imperium of Man. Enemies The Host of the Unending Tower, the Black Legion, Red Corsairs, the Kabal of the Screaming Heart, and various other Chaos cults within inhabited sectors of the Segmentum Pacificus with ties to the Night of a Thousand Rebellions currently serve as the primary enemies of the various companies of the chapter. Naval incursions into the edges of the Western reaches of the Halo Stars have also led to recent confrontations with the Rak'gol in increasing frequency as the chapter expands a search for something in the region. Beginning in 124.M42, the Knights of Laeran had become perhaps the most bitterly hated enemy of the chapter for the massacre of nearly a third of its entire strength. Blood Oaths of Justice have been sworn by several of the Ordinators' greatest leaders, and they have begun preparing for a devastating counterattack to neutralize or severely lessen the threat posed by the Slaaneshi warband. Notable Quotes 'By the Ordinators' About the Ordinators Gallery File:Legatus_Decimus_Aurelian-0.png|The Legatus Decimus Aurelian, Chapter Master of the Ordinators, Slayer of the 11 Daemon Princes of the Unending Tower, and Lord of the Legatium Ordinators fighting Khorne.png|Ordinators fighting Khornate Bloodletters in the Indomitus Crusade. Ordinators_Terminator.png|An Ordinators Veteran Marine of the elite 1st Company, 5th Veteran Squad. Ordinator Decanus Holding CSM Head.png|An Ordinator Tactical Squad Veteran Decanus holds the head of a newly-slain Traitor Astartes aloft. Ordinator fighting Iron Warriors.png|Ordinators fighting Iron Warriors forces in intense urban combat on a world along the Great Rift during Perturabo's Great Siege SnrLt Marcus Ordinators rough draft.jpg|Optio Evander of the 13th Special Demi-Cohort, second of the Primaris Ordinators to be trusted as worthy of leadership, proving himself in combat against the Death Guard in his early days in the Chapter. Video Gallery Category:Imperium Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:Unknown Geneseed Category:23rd Founding Category:Ordinators